Energy-saving orangery design plans

Energy-saving orangery design plans

While many people are attracted to the idea of having an orangery or conservatory extension on their home for added space and to increase their property’s value, many people are put off by installing an orangery or conservatory due to experiencing conservatories that are uncomfortable in warm or cold temperatures, and reportedly lacking in energy-efficiency.

Although there are reports that orangeries and conservatories can make a home less thermally efficient, it is possible to design an orangery or conservatory extension that is, in fact, energy saving.

Designing an energy-saving orangery or conservatory

If you do not currently have a conservatory or orangery extension on your home, before building your extension, you can consider the following options and features that can help your orangery or conservatory be more energy efficient.
The following tips can make your orangery design more energy-saving:

1. Consider the direction your conservatory or orangery will face

If you would like a south-facing conservatory, it will generally be in receipt of direct sunlight and could, as a result get hot in the summer and will need effective ventilation. North-facing conservatories, however, may be cooler and will probably need to be well-heated. You may want to consider the way your extension will face when creating your initial orangery and conservatory design plan.

2. Opt for energy-efficient glass

It is well known that double and triple glazing is much more energy efficient than single glazing, and single glazing shouldn’t be used as far as possible for effective energy-efficiency. In order for glazing to be rated as energy efficient, it must be rated as ‘C’ or higher by the WER (Window Energy Rating).

However, you may not be aware that low-e glass is another option of energy efficient glass that is up to three times more energy efficient than single and traditional double glazing.

Low-e glass ultimately stands for low-emissive glass and is basically a glass coated in the reflective material that reflects heat back into your room and therefore reduces heat transfer.

Other types of glass you may want to consider for your energy-saving orangery design plans are:

Laminated Glass
Laminated glass is basically a sheet of glass that features one or more sheets of glass layered with another piece of glass or glazing material.

How to make your current orangery or conservatory more energy-efficient

If you already have an orangery or conservatory installed and it does not retain heat very well, perhaps getting cold during the winter months and allowing excess heat to escape, there are some affordable methods of making your orangery more energy efficient. These include:

Fitting blinds to the windows, aiming to keep the heat in and block out the sun out during hot summer months

A large warm rug can also help to add a warmer feel to your orangery or conservatory

You may want to consider an insulated roof or an energy-efficient glass roof

A thermal curtain can be very effective at keeping the heat in the room

In winter, ifyou are losing a lot of heat, you’d be best not heating the extension and use a sealed sliding door so that the extension doesn’t waste heat from the remainder of the house.

Conclusion

An energy efficient design plan for your orangery or conservatory can prevent energy loss from your home once the extension is built.

What’s more, if you already have an orangery or conservatory that loses heat, you may want to try techniques like fitting blinds, a thermal curtain or a rug to help retain heat and energy in the conservatory or orangery interior.